News 7/21/11

ONE MAN WAS KILLED AND ANOTHER WAS SEVERELY WOUNDED IN A SHOOTING AT THE BU SHAY CAMPGROUND AT LAKE MENDOCINO LAST NIGHT.

DEPUTIES WERE CALLED TO THE CAMPGROUND JUST BEFORE 8 PM. A 40 YEAR OLD MALE VICTIM DIED AFTER BEING TRANSPORTED TO THE UKIAH VALLEY MEDICAL CENTER. A 2ND MALE VICTIM, BELIEVED TO BE IN HIS 20S WAS AIRLIFTED TO A HOSPITAL OUT OF THE COUNTY WITH A SINGLE GUNSHOT WOUND TO THE UPPER TORSO. HE WAS REPORTEDLY IN CRITICAL BUT STABLE CONDITION AS OF LAST NIGHT. INVESTIGATORS SAY THEY ARE IN THE PROCESS OF IDENTIFYING 3 OR 4 SUSPECTS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SHOOTINGS. NO OTHER DETAILS ABOUT THE CASE HAVE BEEN RELEASED.

MORE DETAILS ON MISSING FALL HIKERS JKB 7/21/11

AUTHORITIES HAVE RELEASED MORE DETAILS ABOUT 3 HIKERS WHO ARE MISSING A PRESUMED DEAD AFTER BEING SWEPT OVER VERNAL FALLS AT YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK ON TUESDAY.

THE MISSING PERSONS WERE IDENTIFIED AS 22 YEAR OLD HOMIZ DAVID OF MODESTO, 27 YEAR OLD NINOS YACOUB OF TURLOCK, AND 21 YEAR OLD RAMINA BADAL OF MODESTO. PARK RANGERS SAY THE THREE WERE WITH A GROUP OF ABOUT 10 FAMILY MEMBERS ON A DAY TRIP TO THE FALLS AND HAD CLIMBED OVER THE METAL BARRICADE TO POSE FOR PICTURES NEAR THE WATER. ONE OF THE GROUP BEGAN TO SLIP, AND ALL THREE WENT IN THE WATER AND WERE SWEPT OVER THE FALLS. ACCORDING TO INVESTIGATORS, SEVERAL YOUNG CHILDREN IN THE GROUP WITNESSES THE TRAGEDY.

MAN RUN KILLED AFTER BEING RUN OVER BY OWN TRUCK JKB 7/21/11

A HUMBOLDT COUNTY MAN WAS KILLED AFTER HE WAS RUN OVER BY HIS OWN PICK UP TRUCK ON MONDAY.

THE 50 YEAR OLD VICTIM WAS CUTTING FIREWOOD WITH HIS GIRLFRIEND IN A REMOTE PART OF THE SIX RIVERS NATIONAL FOREST NEAR GROVES PRAIRIE, USING A CABLE WINCH ON HIS PICK UP TRUCK TO PULL LOGS UP THE A HILL. ACCORDING TO HIS GIRLFRIEND, THE TRUCK JUMPED OVER THE BLOCKS BENEATH THE FRONT TIRES WHILE THE WINCH WAS ENGAGED AND BEGAN ROLLING DOWN HILL. THE VICTIM TIRED TO GET INTO THE TRUCKS CAB TO STOP IT, BUT LOST HIS BALANCE AND WAS RUN OVER. BECAUSE OF POOR CELL PHONE RECEPTION AND THE UNKNOWN EXACT LOCATION OF THE ACCIDENT, IT TOOK RESCUE CREWS UNTIL 11 AM TUESDAY BEFORE THEY COULD REACH THE VICTIM.

METH BREAST MILK CASE TO PROCEED JKB 7/21/11

A HUMBOLDT COUNTY JUDGE HAS RULED THAT THERE IS ENOUGH EVIDENCE TO TRY A LOLETA WOMAN ON CHARGES OF INVOLUNTARY MANSLAUGHTER AND CHILD ENDANGERMENT IN THE DEATH OF HER 6 WEEK OLD SON WHO WAS FED METHAMPHETAMINE TAINTED BREAST MILK.

PROSECUTORS ALLEGE THAT 26 YEAR OLD MAGGIE JEAN WORTMAN USED METHAMPHETAMINE AND PASSED IT ALONG TO HER INFANT SON, MICHAEL PHILLIP ACOSTA THE THIRD, AND HIS 19 MONTH OLD SISTER WHILE BREAST FEEDING. THE BABY DIED IN NOVEMBER OF 2010. THE TODDLER HAS BEEN PLACED IN PROTECTIVE CUSTODY. IF CONVICTED OF ALL CHARGES, WORTMAN COULD FACE UP TO 9 YEARS IN STATE PRISON.

JEALOUS RAGE LED TO FATAL SHOOTING JKB 7/21/11

AN ESCALATING AND OBSESSIVE JEALOUS RAGE IS WHAT LED TO THE FATAL SHOOTING OF AN OFF DUTY MARIN COUNTY SHERIFFS DEPUTY AND THE DEATH OF HIS KILLER ON MONDAY.

ACCORDING TO INVESTIGATORS, 28 YEAR OLD PAROLEE THOMAS HALLORAN BECAME INCREASINGLY UPSET OVER HIS 22 YEAR OLD GIRLFRIENDS ATTEMPT TO BREAK UP WITH HIM, TO THE POINT THE GIRLFRIEND WAS IN THE PROCESS OF OBTAINING A RESTRAINING ORDER AGAINST HIM. HOLLORAN ARRIVED AT HER HOME AT AROUND MIDNIGHT MONDAY ARMED WITH A GUN AND SHOT 49 YEAR OLD OFF DUTY SHERIFFS DEPUTY JIM MATHIESEN WHO WAS THERE AS A FAMILY FRIEND. HOLLARAN THEN FORCED HIS GIRLFRIENDS MOTHER INTO A GARAGE AT GUNPOINT, WHERE HE WAS SHOT TO DEATH BY HIS GIRLFRIENDS BROTHER. POLICE HAVE CLASSIFIED HOLLARANS DEATH AS A JUSTIFIABLE HOMICIDE.

DUI AND CHILD ENDANGERMENT JKB 7/21/11

A LAKEPORT WOMAN WAS ARRESTED AFTER SHE CRASHED HER CAR INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE ON HIGHWAY 29 WITH HER 1 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER IN THE CAR.

FORTUNATELY, THE INFANT WAS PROPERLY STRAPPED INTO A CHILD SAFETY SEAT AND NEITHER SHE NOR HER MOTHER, 30 YEAR OLD SACHA COOPER WERE INJURED. THE DRIVER OF THE OTHER CAR ALSO ESCAPED INJURY. COOPER WAS ARRESTED ON CHARGES OF DUI, CHILD ENDANGERMENT AND DRIVING ON AN EXPIRED LICENSE. THE BABY WAS TURNED OVER TO ITS FATHER.

EVANS WONT RUN FOR WOOLSEYS SEAT JKB 7/21/11

STATE SENATOR NOREEN EVANS ANNOUNCED YESTERDAY THAT SHE WILL NOT RUN FOR THE CONGRESSIONAL SEAT BEING VACATED BY LYNN WOOLSEY.

EVANS, A DEMOCRAT FROM SANTA ROSA, SAID IN A STATEMENT THAT THERE WAS MUCH WORK TO BE DONE IN THE 2ND SENATE DISTRICT AND THAT SHE WOULD REMAIN THERE. WOOLSEY ANNOUNCED THAT SHE WOULD RETIRE AFTER 20 YEARS ON CAPITOL HILL WHEN HER TERM ENDS IN 2012.

MARIN COUNTY TO CLOSE JUVENILE COURT JKB 7/21/11

AFTER BEING UNABLE TO COME UP WITH AN ADEQUATE SOLUTION TO KEEP DEFENDANTS SAFE AT THE MARIN JUVENILE COURT WHEN BUDGET CUTS FORCED THE ELIMINATION OF SECURITY STAFF, MARIN COUNTY OFFICIALS HAVE DECIDED TO CLOSE THE JUVENILE COURT ALL TOGETHER.

OFFICIALS HAD PROPOSED PLACING THE DEFENDANTS BEHIND GLASS ENCLOSURES WHILE IN COURT, OR USING TWO WAY VIDEO CONFERENCING DURING COURT APPEARANCES, BUT RAN INTO STIFF OPPOSITION FROM THOSE WHO SAID IT WAS DEMEANING TO BE TREATED LIKE A WAR CRIMINAL, AND THAT VIDEO VIOLATED THE DEFENDANTS RIGHTS TO APPEAR IN PERSON. JUVENILE CASES WILL NOW BE MOVED TO THE MAIN COURTHOUSE.